Tim Johnston is a graduate of the University of Iowa English Department, with an MFA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He’s the bestselling author of Descent, The Current, the O. Henry prize-winning story collection Irish Girl, and the Young Adult novel Never So Green. His latest book is Distant Sons.

"I applied to Iowa four times before I got in. Originally I came here to study poetry at the Workshop, but then I stayed for a second degree in literary translation. They have both been helpful in their own ways."

"...what remained constant was my love for film, my passion for telling stories, and my desire to attend a school that would help refine my craft. That’s why I chose to go to the University of Iowa and major in Screenwriting Arts."

In part two of today's podcast, novelist and screenwriter Vinnie Wilhelm shares a section from a novel he wrote in high school, entitled "SPAM."